To prepare several meals in advance, start by identifying the step that slows you down. A food processor can help with chopping ingredients if your oven and hob already take care of the cooking, while a multicooker is mainly for cooking. A cooking food processor combines preparation and cooking, but its bowl often means working through tasks one at a time. If your current appliances already let you organise your cooking session without recurring difficulties, you don’t need to buy another one.
If you’re making a stew, side dishes and basic preparations in one go, look at the usable capacity for each recipe and how many steps you can carry out at the same time. With just one bowl, you may have to finish, empty and clean one preparation before starting the next.
If your oven and hob do the job but slicing, grating or chopping slows you down, an unheated food processor is a more direct solution than an appliance designed mainly for cooking.
Before adding an appliance, measure the space it will occupy and think about where its accessories will go. Weight, access to spare parts and repair options also matter if you plan to use it regularly.
First, work out what your oven, hob and utensils can already do. Then consider which step a new appliance would genuinely take care of.
| Priority | What to check | Think about your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing ingredients | Check that the appliance has the chopping, grating, mincing or blending functions you need. An unheated food processor needs another way to cook food; don’t assume a multicooker will do these jobs. | Chopping takes me a while, but my oven and hob can already cook the dishes. |
| Planning your cooking | Compare what you can cook at the same time with your current appliances against the one-at-a-time process of using a single bowl or pot. If you’re considering a multicooker, check it has the cooking modes you need for your dishes. | I want to get something cooking while I prepare something else. If several dishes need to cook at once, I’ll also need to plan for other cooking appliances. |
| Quantities | Compare your largest recipe with the model’s usable capacity and maximum fill level. The total capacity and advertised number of portions don’t, on their own, tell you how much of each dish you can make. | I’d rather make a quantity that suits my household without having to cook in multiple batches because the bowl or pot is too small. |
| Cleaning between recipes | Find out which parts need to be emptied, taken apart or washed between preparations. Check dishwasher compatibility for each part; a pre-clean programme doesn’t necessarily mean you can skip cleaning the accessories. | I make several recipes in a row, and stopping to wash the container can disrupt my cooking session. |
| Kitchen space | Check the model’s width, depth, height and weight, as well as the space needed for its accessories. Take account of the clearance beneath cupboards and the worktop space you’ll have left. | I want to set up and use the appliance without having to reorganise the entire worktop every time. |
| Long-term maintenance | Check spare-part availability and repair options for the model you’re considering. Make sure you understand the difference between the manufacturer’s voluntary commitments and your rights when buying from a retailer. | If I use the appliance often, I want to know how to replace a part or arrange a repair if it breaks down. |
A large bowl can’t necessarily be filled to the same level for every recipe. For example, Magimix lists a total capacity of 3,6 L for the CS 5200XL, but a usable capacity of 1,8 L.
Note the quantity you need for your largest soup, sauce or other preparation, then compare it with the usable capacity and fill-level guidance for the model you’re considering.
A multicooker handles cooking tasks, but you shouldn’t assume it can chop or grate. An unheated food processor, on the other hand, leaves the cooking to your oven, hob or another appliance.
During a typical cooking session, work out whether it’s chopping, cooking, quantities or cleaning that slows you down most before choosing an appliance type.
With a single bowl or pot, making two different preparations may mean transferring food, rinsing the container or changing an accessory. A cleaning programme won’t necessarily eliminate these steps.
Think through the order of three dishes you often make and count how many container changes and washes you’ll need.
An appliance needs a place on your worktop or in an accessible cupboard. Commitments on spare parts and repairs vary by brand and model.
Measure the available space, check how much the appliance weighs and look into repair options and spare parts for the exact model.
These examples represent different types of appliance. The features and commitments mentioned apply to the models or ranges listed, not necessarily to every product from each brand.
Moulinex offers Companion cooking food processors and Cookeo multicookers, among other appliances. The former combine food preparation and cooking, while the latter focus on cooking.
The Thermomix TM7 is an example of a cooking food processor that combines food preparation, cooking and guided recipes.
The CS 5200XL is an example of a non-heating food processor for households whose oven and hob already take care of the cooking.
This selection includes two cooking food processors, a non-heating food processor and two multicookers. Compare them with the step that slows you down, while keeping your oven and hob in the mix if they already meet your needs.
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Worth considering if you want to prepare and cook food in the same appliance. The model name includes integrated scales and a touchscreen. If you’re making several recipes, allow for tasks to be done one at a time in the bowl, and check that its usable capacity suits the quantities you need.
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This model combines food preparation and cooking in a food processor with integrated scales and a touchscreen. Before deciding where to put it, check its dimensions, weight and usable capacity for your largest preparation.
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For chopping when you already have another way to cook: the product description lists a chopper, slicer, grater and removable accessories. The advertised 1,8 L capacity doesn’t, on its own, tell you the usable volume for each preparation. You’ll need an oven, hob or another appliance for cooking.
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Worth a look if your main challenge is cooking rather than chopping. The advertised capacity is 7,1 L; compare the fill limits with the quantities you plan to make, and organise ingredient preparation separately.
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This model is for cooking in a pot rather than chopping ingredients. Its advertised capacity is 5,7 L; check the usable volume for your recipes, as well as the dimensions if space is limited.
Start with the largest preparation you usually make, then check the usable capacity and fill limits of the model you’re considering. Manufacturers’ capacity figures aren’t directly comparable across different types of appliance: Moulinex lists a 3 L bowl for the Companion XL and Vorwerk lists 2,2 L for the TM7, while Magimix distinguishes the CS 5200XL’s 1,8 L usable capacity from its 3,6 L total capacity.
Not for chopping tasks unless it has the relevant function. The features listed by Moulinex for the Cookeo models reviewed include pressure cooking, steaming and slow cooking. If slicing, grating or chopping is what slows you down, look at a separate food-preparation tool.
Check which parts of your chosen model are dishwasher-safe and which need to be taken apart or washed by hand. Vorwerk features a pre-clean mode for the TM7, but that doesn’t mean every accessory can be cleaned without further handling.
Find out about returning it through a waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling scheme. In France, the ministry responsible for ecology describes a ‘one-for-one’ take-back scheme when buying an appliance of the same type. Check the practical arrangements with the retailer concerned.